St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-19

tie produce nave Tree use OF 1t ana then
and only then justice will be done.
CHARLES Phillips,
Vice President West Seventh Street Citi-
Zen's Union.
''MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR"
First Performance of the Famous
Comedy i'm This City-.R OLSON and
Crane Give a Clean and Artistic
Production of the Play =. Mr.
Cranes Ealstaff an Unqualified
Success.
Although Falstaff is by all odds the most
humorous of Shakespeare's creations there
are but few comedians who are courageous
enough to risk their regulations by imper-
sonating the character. In the first place it
not only requires very high but very pc
cular order of histrionic ability to give a sue
cessful Interpretation to Sbakespeare's
humor. And i'll the second place the broad,
vulgar type of humor which was
prevalent in the higher circles of his
day is not even pardonable in this more
cultured era of civilization. Hereto
fore the American comedians who have at
tempted to produce MERRY Wives have
made miserable failures because they adj
hered to a literal version of the text and gave
Interpretation to the principal character
which they supposed the text warranted.
But the production Of ''Merry Wives at the
Grand last night was entirely different from
any former performance of the great comedy
in this country. In the first place Messrs.
Crane and Robson have selected q version of
the play from which all the grosser features
of the original text are eliminated without in
the least ilnpafring it's humor. In
the next place Mr.. Cranes conception
of the character of alstaf is
nT cnlf tod 1,l
repulsive both in appearance and manner,
yet who imagines himself to be ''masher''
among women and is easily made the victim
of his own vanity. Mr.. Cranes conception of
the character applies forcibly to the present
time, for to-day the world is full of both
young and old Falstafs who are just as big
fools as the original ever was. Mr.. Cranes
Interpretation of the character is natural
and artistic. Guided by his own keen sense
of humor, he readily Identifies himself with
the character he assumes. There is nothing
overdone about it, and yet there is nothing
left undone. His makeup gives a perfect
reproduction of the staggering, bombastic
old knight who loved sack and money
and was natures model of liar.
In looks, manner, speech and
gait, he is the Falstaf of our imagination.
There has always been a difference of opinion
among students of Shakespeare, as to whether
the costuming in MERRY Wives should be
that of the times of Henry the Fourth OF of
the days of Queen Elizabeth. Messrs. Crane
and Robson have adopted that of the Eliza
bethan period. Mr.. Robson has an unimport-
ant part in Doctor Gains as compared with
the part taken by Mr. Crane, still he is an i'm
portant factor in the production of the COM
edy. There is laugh-prOvokiug instinct in
Stuart RopSon's voice. 1t makes no difference
when or where he appears on the stage, the
first movement of his tongue will start a rip
pie Of laughter through the audience and by
49, - hea hoe inns
house is in an uproar. 1t was so last night,
and it is always SO. The cast is
fairly good throughout. and, in some
instances, quite strong, yet at
times there were unmistakable evidences
of drag in the play which could not be ac-
counted for, particularly in the first two acts.
1t may have been possible that it was owing
to the absence of Miss Fetter, the leading
lady, who was too unwell to appear last even
ing, although her part of Mrs. Ford was car
ried with cOmmendaple skill by Miss Alice
Brown. Miss Waldron made a very pretty
Mrs. Page, and playe the part with coDsum-
mate grace. Mrs. Dickson's impersonation
of Mrs. Quigly was an exceedingly clever
piece of comedy work and received the
heartiest applause. rhe play. is handsomely
mounted, the scenery appropriate, and the
costuming very fine. The audience was one
of the finest of the season, being both cul-
tured and critical, and gave abundant mani
festations of warmth. The same bill to-
night.
Miss Fetter's illness is only of a Temporal ry
character, and she expects to be we'll enough
to play her part tonight.
Hon. Edmund Rice and Gen. Sanborn and
families occupied boxes at the Grand last
night.
The civil rights law does not warrant the
admission of geese to the theaters. There
are some ill-mannered people get into the
galleries occasionally who insist on Kissing at
everything that comes along. Ladies and
gentlemen who patrouize the theater do not
like to be annoyed by flock of Kissing geese
over their heads.
THE OLYMPIC.
There was good-sized audience at the
Olympic last night. The olio which follows
a musical first part is an unusually strong
one Prof. Lawrence's prismatic fountain
is d wonder. Morris and Avery, Barry and
Hughes and Riley and Wolfe are ali funny
in their various specialties. The afterpiece
lie Salon du Dable." is amusing as well
as interesting in the way of mechanical de-
Vices.
THE DIME MUSEUM.
The Seventh street museum was crowded
last night. the occasion being the initial
production of John T. Kelly's concelt. en-
titled ''O'Regan's Racket" Mr.. Kelly
assumes one of his pleasing dialect roles,
ginning to end. In the upper theater the
Newcombs., the Winchell Sisters. Kelly and
Holmes give the entertainment. In the
curio hall Rifia Bey. in his unequaled
knife throwing act, and John Snider, with
his perpetual walking. are the features.
Friday the ladies will receive presents.